In today’s world, where we try to balance school, work, children, and everything else, most people are already happy if they can go to bed around 11:00 p.m. and get 8 hours of sleep. But is this ideal? How does this relate to our sleep phases? And can you calculate your sleep cycle? Sleep expert Jessa Gamble reveals what a healthy sleep cycle should actually look like.
Before we outline the ideal sleep cycle, we first explain what a sleep cycle actually is. When you sleep, you go through several sleep stages: the drowsy stage, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. You move through these stages, in the same order, several times per night. Once you have gone through all four stages, you have completed one sleep cycle. When we talk about a “good night’s sleep,” it usually means you have completed all stages about five times.
Now that you know what a sleep cycle is and how it is structured, the next logical question is: how long does a sleep cycle last? A normal sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes. However, each sleep cycle is different and depends on factors such as age, health, and sleep habits. Newborn babies, for example, have a sleep cycle of around 50 minutes. Your sleep cycle may also be shorter if you go to bed with a headache or suffer from jet lag. In addition, factors such as stress, caffeine and alcohol consumption, exposure to blue light before bedtime, and your sleep environment can influence how long and how deeply you sleep.
Although we’ve explained what a normal sleep cycle looks like, it’s important to note that this is adapted to the daily routine of modern life. If you listen to the TED Talk by sleep expert Jessa Gamble, you’ll discover that a healthy sleep cycle looks quite different according to her.
In her talk “Our Natural Sleep Cycle,” she discusses the importance of our natural sleep rhythm and how modern society—with jet lag, a 24-hour economy, and artificial light—disrupts it. She explains how our bodies are tuned to an internal rhythm regulated by our biological clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and listening to this biological clock. In short, we should adapt our lifestyle to our internal rhythms.
So what does our natural sleep pattern look like in an ideal situation, according to Jessa?
“Without artificial light, we would sleep twice a night: first from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, and then from 2:00 a.m. until sunrise. Between midnight and 2:00 a.m., we wouldn’t sleep, but would instead engage in a meditative rest.”
In an experiment where people followed this sleep cycle, participants reported feeling more alert during the day. Interesting!
Looking for a sleep rhythm that works for you? Calculating your sleep cycle doesn’t happen overnight. It’s advisable to go to bed and wake up at the same time for at least five consecutive days to discover your ideal rhythm.
Good to know: how you apply theories and advice about sleep cycles is very personal. Even among adults, ideal sleep rhythms can differ greatly. But what about children and their sleep cycles? Toddlers, for example, have a sleep cycle of about 60 minutes. A baby’s sleep cycle is even shorter—around 45 minutes. From the age of 4 to 6, the sleep cycle develops into a 90-minute cycle, similar to that of adults.
Sources: TED, Marijn Slaap Coach & Hersenstichting
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